Multi-drive portable computer

ABSTRACT

A notebook computer base housing has operatively disposed therein a CD ROM drive, a hard disk drive and a floppy disk drive, an AC/DC electrical power converter, a modem, a PCMCIA card bay structure and a battery. This internal provision of three drive units in addition to the other equipment within the base housing is facilitated from a space standpoint by the vertical stacking of the hard disk drive atop the CD ROM drive within the base housing. To dissipate the operating heat from these components within the base housing, a heat spreader plate is interposed between the CD ROM drive and the overlying hard disk drive, and the high heat-generating components—namely, the modem, the AC/DC converter, the PCMCIA card bay structure, and the computer processor—are closely grouped together, with the AC/DC converter in thermal communication with a second heat spreader plate. The processor is disposed above the other high heat-generating components on a horizontally oriented main system circuit board, with the circuit board having top and bottom side heat sink members thermally communicated with the processor. An axial fan disposed in the base housing creates an upper flow of cooling air that passes over the upper heat sink member, and a lower flow of cooling air that passes over the lower heat sink member and the heat-generating components grouped below the processor.

This application is a Divisional of application Ser. No. 08/999,438filed Dec. 29, 1997, now U.S. Pat. No. 6,134,104.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates generally to portable computers and, in apreferred embodiment thereof, more particularly relates to a portablenotebook computer having operatively disposed in its base portion threedrive units—a floppy disk drive, a hard disk drive and a CD ROM drive—inaddition to an internal modem and AC/DC adapter, a dual PCMCIA card bay,and a battery.

2. Description of Related Art

Small portable computers, such as the increasingly popular notebookcomputer, continue to become more sophisticated, powerful and more liketheir larger desktop counterparts in terms of overall versatility ofuse. As it has evolved, the notebook computer typically comprises agenerally rectangular base housing with a keyboard and pointing devicemounted on its top side. A lid housing is hinged to a rear top side edgeportion of the base housing for pivotal movement relative theretobetween (1) a closed storage and transport orientation in which the lidextends across and covers the top base housing side, and (2) an upwardlypivoted use orientation in which a the keyboard and pointing device areexposed, and a display screen in the inner side of the lid housing facesthe user of the computer.

The base housing of a conventional notebook computer is of a generallyrectangular configuration and typically has a left-to-right length ofapproximately 11″; a front-to-rear width of approximately 9″; and avertical thickness of approximately 1.5″. Compared to the volume withina typical desktop computer housing, the volume within a notebookcomputer base housing is extremely small. Yet it within this diminutiveinterior space that the various electronic components of the notebookcomputer—such as its hard drive, system board, processor and thelike—must be operatively disposed.

Compared to desktop computers, early notebook computers were noticeablyslower and had considerably less operational versatility. For example,their processors tended to be slower and their hard drive storagecapacities were lower. Additionally, the conversion of AC electricalpower supplied to the computer to the necessary DC electrical power foruse by the computer was accomplished by a bulky exterior converter“brick” which had to be carted around as a needed accessory for thenotebook computer.

As computer designers became more skilled at operatively placing morecomponents into the cramped interior confines of the notebook computerbase housing, the notebook computer began to approach the desktopcomputer in terms of speed, capacity and operational flexibility. Forexample, later notebook computers were typically provided with both aninternal hard disk drive, an internal floppy disk drive and, in someinstances, an internal AC/DC converter. Later, as the incorporation ofCD ROM drives became prevalent in desktop computers, it became desirableto also internally incorporate a CD ROM drive into the base housing of anotebook computer.

However, at this point, two things had happened which forced designersto choose between the floppy drive and the CD ROM drive for internalincorporation in the notebook computer base housing along with theinternal hard drive and the internal AC/DC power converter. First, thereappeared to be insufficient physical room for three drive units (i.e., ahard disk drive, a floppy disk drive, and a CD ROM drive) and aninternal AC/DC converter within the interior of a standard-sizednotebook computer base housing. Second, as these drive units, and thecomputer processor, became larger and faster, their combined operationalheat outputs, coupled with the operational heat of other internalcomponents such as the internal power converter, begin to exceed theamount of heat that could be effectively dissipated from the basehousing.

Accordingly, as a compromise, notebook computers were designed to givethe consumer a choice of (1) an internal power converter, hard diskdrive and floppy disk drive, or (2) an internal power converter, harddisk drive and CD ROM drive—in other words, only two internal driveunits and an internal power converter. If the consumer ordered theinternal floppy disk drive, and also wanted a CD ROM drive, the CD ROMdrive had to be an external drive unit. On the other hand, if theconsumer ordered the internal CD ROM drive and also wanted a floppy diskdrive, the floppy disk drive had to be an external drive unit.

However, particularly to more sophisticated consumers having all threedrive units in their corresponding desktop computer, this compromise isnot satisfactory. Accordingly, a need exists for a portable notebookcomputer capable of internally incorporating in its base housing portion(1) a hard disk drive, (2) a floppy disk drive, (3) a CD ROM drive, and(4) an AC/DC power converter. It is to this need that the presentinvention is directed.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In carrying out principles of the present invention, in accordance witha preferred embodiment thereof, a portable computer, representatively anotebook computer, is provided which comprises a base housing having topand bottom sides, and a display screen housing secured to the basehousing for movement relative thereto between open and closed positions.

First, second and third drive units, an AC/DC electrical power converterand a processor are mounted within the base housing. Representatively,the first, second and third drive units are respectively a CD ROM drive,a hard disk drive, and a floppy disk drive, with the hard disk drivebeing preferably mounted in a vertically stacked relationship with theCD ROM drive. Illustratively, the base housing is formed from separabletop and bottom sections, with the hard disk drive being carried in anopen-bottomed well portion in the top base housing section, with a heatspreader plate structure being positioned between the hard disk driveand the underlying CD ROM drive.

The processor and the AC/DC electrical power converter are adjacent oneanother within an interior portion of the base housing, and a coolingsystem is provided which is operative to create within this interiorbase housing portion a localized flow of cooling air which passes (1)into the base housing, (2) through the interior base housing portion andalong the processor and the AC/DC electrical power converter structureand then (3) outwardly from the base housing.

Preferably, a modem and a PCMCIA card bay structure are also positionedwithin the same base housing interior portion as the processor and AC/DCconverter, and are cooled by the same localized flow of cooling air.According to another aspect of the invention, a bottom side portion ofthis interior base housing portion is defined by a heat spreaderstructure which is in thermal communication with the AC/DC powerconverter structure. In accordance with another feature of theinvention, a first battery is operatively disposed within the basehousing, and the third drive unit is selectively replaceable with asecond storage battery.

The processor is representatively mounted on a horizontally disposedcircuit board that overlies the AC/DC power converter, the modem and thePCMCIA card bay structure. Top and bottom heat sinks are respectivelymounted on the top and bottom sides of the circuit board and are inthermal communication with the processor. According to another featureof the invention, in a preferred embodiment thereof, the cooling systemincludes an axial fan mounted in the interior base housing portion andoperative to create (1) a first flow of cooling air that passes alongthe bottom heat sink member, the AC/DC converter, the modem and thePCMCIA card bay structure and a lower portion of the fan, and (2) asecond flow of cooling air that passes along the top heat sink memberand through a top portion of the fan.

In one embodiment of the invention, the top and bottom heat sink membersare spaced apart from and separate from the cooling fan. In anotherembodiment of the invention, the top heat sink member is connected tothe fan, in a heat conductive relationship therewith, and the secondflow of cooling passes through the upper fan portion via an opening inthe top heat sink member.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a simplified, partially phantomed perspective view of amulti-drive portable notebook computer embodying principles of thepresent invention.

FIG. 2 is an enlarged scale partially phantomed schematic top plan viewof the base housing portion of the computer showing the uniquearrangement of various of its internal components;

FIG. 2A is an enlarged scale partially phantomed schematic plan view ofa portion of an alternate base housing embodiment of the computer;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged scale simplified left end elevational view of thebase housing shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is an enlarged scale simplified right end elevational view of thebase housing shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 5 is an enlarged scale simplified partial rear side elevationalview of the base housing shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 6 is an enlarged scale simplified exploded perspective view of partof a bottom side portion of the base housing shown in FIG. 1, and anassociated portion of the main system circuit board of the computer;

FIG. 7 is an enlarged scale schematic cross-sectional view through aheat sink and processor portion of the circuit board taken along line7—7 of FIG. 6; and

FIG. 8 is a perspective view of an alternate embodiment of the heat sinkand cooling fan portion of the circuit board shown in FIG. 6.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Perspectively illustrated in simplified form in FIG. 1 is a portablenotebook computer 10 which embodies principles of the present invention.Computer 10 includes a base housing 12 having a generally rectangularconfiguration and separable top and bottom sections 12 a. Base housing12 has top and bottom side walls 14 and 16, front and rear side walls 18and 20, and left and right end walls 22 and 24. As used herein, the term“horizontal” means generally parallel to the top and bottom side walls14 and 16, and the term “vertical” means generally perpendicular to thetop and bottom side walls 14 and 16.

Along front corner portions thereof the top side wall 14 has speakerperforations 26, and a pointing device, representatively a touch pad 28,is centrally positioned behind the perforations 26. Behind the touch pad28 is a keyboard assembly 30 removably retained in a complementarilyconfigured recess 32 formed in the top side wall 14 of the base housing12.

A lid or display housing 34 is partially shown in phantom in FIG. 1 andis secured by a hinge mechanism 36 to a rear top side edge portion ofthe base housing 12 for pivotal movement relative thereto between anupright use orientation (shown in FIG. 1) in which a display screen 38on the inner side of the lid housing 34 faces the user of the computer,and a horizontal storage and transport orientation (see FIGS. 3 and 4)in which the lid housing 34 extends across and essentially covers thetop side 14 of the base housing 12. A suitable latch structure (notshown) is provided for releasably holding the lid housing 34 in itshorizontal storage and transverse orientation.

Referring now to FIGS. 2-5, according to a key feature of the presentinvention, the base housing 12 has operatively disposed therein threedrive units—a CD ROM drive 40, a hard disk drive 42, and a floppy diskdrive 44—and an AC/DC power converter structure 46. Additionallydisposed within the base housing 12 are a modem 48, a dual PCMCIA cardbay 50 and a battery 52. The card bay 50 is adapted to removably receivevertically stacked upper and lower PCMCIA cards 54 and 56 and ispositioned inwardly adjacent a corresponding rectangular opening 50 aformed in the left base housing end wall 22 (see FIGS. 1, 3, 5 and 6).

The CD ROM drive 40 and the hard disk drive 42, in their verticallystacked relationship, are disposed generally within a right rearquadrant of the rectangularly configured base housing 12 (see FIG. 2).CD ROM drive 40 is accessible through a rectangular opening 58 in theright end wall 24 of the base housing 12 (see FIG. 4), and the hard diskdrive 42 is supported on a peripheral lip portion 60 of an open-bottomedwell structure 62 (see FIG. 4) carried within the upper base housingsection 12 a.

Well structure 62 extends downwardly through a cutout area in ahorizontally oriented main system circuit board 64 which is verticallydisposed generally at the juncture between the separable top and bottomsections 12 a, 12 b of the base housing 12. Interposed between the CDROM drive 40 (disposed in the bottom base housing section 12 b) and thehard disk drive 42 (carried within the top base housing section 12 a) isa horizontally oriented metal heat spreader plate 66 to which operatingheat of the CD ROM drive 40 and the overlying hard disk drive 42 istransferred and dissipated during operation of the computer 10.

Battery 52 is disposed generally within a right front quadrant of thebottom base housing section 12 b and is accessible through acorresponding opening 68 (see FIG. 4). The floppy disk drive 44 (seeFIGS. 2 and 3) is disposed generally in a left front quadrant of thebottom base housing section 12 b and has a horizontally elongated diskinsertion slot 70 formed in the left base housing end wall 22. Floppydisk drive 44 is removably mounted within a interior base housing bayarea 72 (see FIG. 3) which is configured to operatively andinterchangeably accept either the floppy disk drive 44 (as schematicallyshown in FIGS. 2 and 3) or a second battery 52 a as schematically shownin FIG. 2A.

The AC/DC power converter structure 46, the modem 48 and the dual PCMCIAcard bay 50 are disposed, as schematically shown in FIG. 2, generallywithin a left rear quadrant of the bottom base housing section 15 bbeneath a left rear corner portion 64 a of the horizontally orientedmain system circuit board 64. A processor 74 (see FIGS. 2, 3 and 5-7) isoperatively mounted on the top side of the circuit board portion 64 aand is horizontally positioned generally centrally within the left rearquadrant of the bottom base housing section 12 b.

A first aluminum heat sink member 76 is mounted on the top side of theprocessor 74 (see FIGS. 5-7) in thermal communication therewith, and asecond aluminum heat sink member 78 is mounted on the bottom side of thecircuit board portion 64 a, under the processor 74 and is in thermalcommunication with the processor 74 through vias 80 (see FIG. 7)associated with the processor and extending through the circuit boardportion 64 a.

As best illustrated in FIGS. 3 and 6, a plenum area 82 is formed withinthe left rear quadrant portion of the bottom base housing section 12 b.In general, the plenum area 82 is bounded along a top side by the cornerportion 64 a of the circuit board 64; bounded along a rear side byportions of the AC/DC converter 46 and modem 48; bounded along its rightside by a portion of the AC/DC converter 46; bounded along its frontside by the floppy drive/battery bay area 72; bounded along its leftside by the left base housing end wall 22; and bounded along its bottomside by a metal heat spreader plate 84 in thermally conductivecommunication with the AC/DC power converter structure 46.

The PCMCIA bay structure 50 is supported on the underside of the circuitboard corner portion 64 a (see FIGS. 5 and 6), in a downwardly spacedrelationship therewith, by posts 86, and is received within the plenum82. A spaced series of air inlet openings 88 (see FIGS. 3, 5 and 6) areformed through the left base housing end wall 22 above the opening 50 atherein, and are vertically positioned between the top side of thePCMCIA card bay structure 50 and the underside of the circuit boardcorner portion 64 a (see FIGS. 3 and 5). For purposes later describedherein, a gap 90 is left between the left side edge 92 of the circuitboard 64 and the inner side of the left base housing end wall 22.

As can best be seen in FIG. 2, of the various components mounted withinthe portable computer base housing 12, the highest operating heatgenerating components—namely, the AC/DC converter 46, the modem 48, thePCMCIA card bay 50 (in which operating heat is produced by theheat-generating circuit board structures 54,56 inserted therein), andthe processor 74—are closely grouped together, representatively within aleft rear quadrant area of the base housing 12.

The dissipation of operating heat from these closely grouped, highheat-generating components is effectively achieved by means of aspecially designed cooling system 94 (see FIG. 6) embodying principlesof the present invention. Coupled with the vertical stacking of two ofthe drive units, representatively the CD ROM drive 40 and the hard diskdrive 42, this specially designed cooling system enables the mounting ofthe three drive units 40,42,44 and the AC/DC converter 46 (along withthe other depicted components) conveniently within the interior of thebase housing 12. Accordingly, this eliminates the necessity of providingeither the CD ROM drive 40, the floppy disk drive 44 or the AC/DCconverter 46 as an external unit outside of the base housing 12.

The cooling system 94, as shown in FIG. 6, includes the top and bottomprocessor heat sinks 76 and 78; the thermally conductive heat spreaderplate 84 extending along the bottom side of the plenum 82; the air inletopenings 88 formed in the left base housing end wall 22; a small axialfan 96 representatively having a rectangularly configured plastic body98 (see FIGS. 2, 5 and 6) and a horizontally oriented discharge axis; anupper set of air discharge openings 100 a (see FIG. 5) formed in therear side wall of the top base housing section 12 a directly behind anupper portion of the fan 96; and a lower set of air discharge openings100 b formed in the rear side wall of the bottom base housing section 12b directly behind a lower portion of the fan 96. As indicated in FIG. 6,a rectangular notch 102 is formed in the front side edge 104 of thecircuit board portion 64 a to receive a vertical rear portion of the fanbody 98.

Referring now to FIGS. 5 and 6, during operation of the computer 10 andits cooling fan 96, operating heat from the AC/DC converter 46 isconducted to and spread throughout the spreader plate 84 extending alongthe bottom side of the plenum 82, and the fan 96 draws ambient coolingair 106 inwardly through the air inlet openings 88 and into the plenum82. A first portion 106 a of air 106 entering the plenum 82 is caused tosweep along the plenum 82, the PCMCIA card bay structure 50, and alongthe bottom side of the circuit board portion 64 a and the lowerprocessor heat sink 78 thereon before being discharged through the lowerdischarge openings 100 b via a lower portion of the fan 96. A secondportion 106 b of the entering air 106 is drawn upwardly through the gap90 (see FIG. 5), to above the top side of the circuit board portion 64a, and is then drawn along the top side of the circuit board portion 64a and along the top processor heat sink 76 before being dischargedthrough the upper discharge openings 100 a (see FIG. 5) via an upperportion of the fan 96.

In this manner, plenum heat from the components therein and the heatspreader plate 84 and a first portion of the processor heat aretransferred to a first portion of the cooling air traversing interior ofthe base housing 12, and a second portion of the processor heat istransferred to a second portion of the cooling traversing the interiorof the base housing.

A left rear corner portion 64 a of an alternate embodiment of thecircuit board 64 is shown in FIG. 8 and has a higher speed processor(not shown) beneath its top aluminum heat sink member 76. To handle thehigher operating heat of this higher speed processor, an axial fan 96 a,having an aluminum body 98 a, is substituted for the previouslydescribed axial fan 96, and an upwardly and forwardly extending frontend projection 76 a is formed on the top heat sink 76 and conductivelysecured to a top rear edge portion of the aluminum fan body 98 a. Duringoperation of the fan 96 a, the upper cooling air flow 106 b is directedacross the top side of the circuit board portion 64 a, across the topheat sink member 76, through an opening 108 formed in the heat sinkextension 76 a, and outwardly through an upper portion of the fan 96 afor discharge through the top air discharge openings 100 a (see FIG. 5)in the rear side wall of the top base housing section 12 a. As can beseen, in addition to the convective heat transfer from the heat sink 76to the cooling air flow 106 b, the heat sink extension 76 a alsoconducts heat from the heat sink 76 directly to the aluminum fan body 98a for dissipation therefrom to ambient.

As can be seen from the foregoing, the unique positioning andarrangement of the various computer components within the base housing12 permits the illustrated three drive units and AC/DC converter (aswell as the other illustrated components) to be internally disposedwithin the base housing. Additionally, the close grouping of the highestheat generating components, and the use of the unique cooling system 94described above, permits the operating heat of these components to beeffectively dissipated to ambient without causing overheating of any ofsuch elements during operation of the portable notebook computer 10.

The foregoing detailed description is to be clearly understood as beinggiven by way of illustration and example only, the spirit and scope ofthe present invention being limited solely by the appended claims.

What is claimed is:
 1. A portable computer comprising: a base housinghaving top and bottom sides; a display screen housing secured to thebase housing for movement relative threreto between open and closedpositions; a first drive unit, wherein the first drive unit is a CD ROMdrive; a second drive unit, wherein the second drive unit is a hard diskdrive; a third drive unit, wherein the third drive unit is a floppy diskdrive; an AC/DC electrical power converter structure; and a supportstructure able to support the first drive unit, the second drive unit,the third drive unit and the AC/DC electrical power converter structurewithin the base housing with the second drive unit being in a verticallystacked relationship with the first drive unit,-the support structurebeing operative to mount a battery in place of the floppy disk drivewithin the base housing.
 2. The portable computer of claim 1 wherein theportable computer is a notebook computer.
 3. The portable computer ofclaim 1 wherein the hard disk drive is mounted above the CD ROM drivewithin the base housing.
 4. The portable computer of claim 1 furthercomprising a heat spreader plate disposed between the first and seconddrive units.
 5. The portable computer of claim 1 wherein: the basehousing is formed from separable top and bottom sections; and a well isformed in the top base housing section and adapted to receive the seconddrive unit, further wherein the first drive unit is positioned withinthe bottom base housing section beneath the second drive unit.
 6. Theportable computer of claim 1 wherein: the well has a substantially openbottom side, and the portable computer further comprises a heat spreaderplate disposed between the substantially open bottom side and the firstdrive unit.
 7. A portable computer comprising: a base housing having topand bottom sides; a display screen housing secured to the base housingfor movement relative thereto between open and closed positions; a firstdrive unit disposed within the base housing in a vertically stackedrelationship with a second drive unit; and a heat spreader platedisposed between the first drive unit and the second drive unit, whereinthe base housing is formed from separable top and bottom sections; andthe top base housing section is adapted to receive the second driveunit, further wherein the first drive unit is positioned within thebottom base housing section beneath the second drive unit wherein: thewell has a substantially open bottom side, and the portable computerfurther comprises a heat spreader plate disposed between thesubstantially open bottom side and the first drive unit.
 8. The portablecomputer of claim 7, further comprising a third drive unit disposed withthe base housing.
 9. The portable computer of claim 7, wherein theportable computer is a notebook computer.
 10. The portable computer ofclaim 9 wherein a support structure is configured to mount a battery inplace of the floppy disk drive within the base housing.
 11. The portablecomputer of claim 7 wherein: the first drive unit is a CD ROM drive, thesecond drive unit is a hard disk drive, and the third drive unit is afloppy disk drive.